# SurrealDB vs Zulip

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | SurrealDB | Zulip |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 | 82/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #5 of 38 in Databases | #1 of 110 in Chat |
| GitHub stars | 33 241 ✓ | 26 133 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +183 | +190 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 21 ✓ | 6 |
| Latest release | v3.3.4 · 19 Oct 2026 ✓ | 12.3 · 21 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Rust | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

Zulip scores 82/100 against 78/100 for SurrealDB, so it is the safer default.

SurrealDB ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for Zulip.

If you want the quickest setup, SurrealDB is easier to run; Zulip needs more configuration.

## Details

- [SurrealDB](https://selfhost.directory/project/surrealdb) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/surrealdb.md)
- [Zulip](https://selfhost.directory/project/zulip) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/zulip.md)

## Related comparisons

- [Discourse vs Zulip](https://selfhost.directory/compare/discourse-vs-zulip)
- [Rocket.Chat vs Zulip](https://selfhost.directory/compare/rocketchat-vs-zulip)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/surrealdb-vs-zulip